Reviews by Friends of HappyHartz

skbreese says "Traveling Light: My Life In Ruins" about My Life in Ruins

skbreese — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:12:25 GMT

Star of the hit romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nia Vardalos, returns to the big screen in the 2009 follow-up, My Life In Ruins. Unfortunately, this film suffers from a few too many crude jokes (a character named Poupi "poopy" Kakas) and tired gags (a kleptomaniac grandma). The result is a thinly plotted travelogue that is neither very funny nor romantic.

Recently laid off American history professor, Georgia, (Nia Vardolos) takes a job as a tour guide in Greece, for a low budget travel agency, and receives mediocre reviews, while in constant competition with her co-worker, Nico, (Alistair Mc Gowen), who always gets the best tourists and an air conditioned bus. However, her fortunes change when a middle aged widower, Irv, (Richard Dreyfuss) teaches her some valuable lessons on life and love.

Despite a charming performance from Vardalos, the other characters in the film are a bit too one-dimensional and stereotypical (the loud Americans, boozing Australians, and over-sexed Spanish...

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mindyvol says "A great toy for children learning to spell" about LeapFrog Word Whammer Fridge Phonics set

mindyvol — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:41:35 GMT

The Fridge Words Magnetic Word Builder by LeapFrog is the perfect educational toy for children who are ready to move up from the LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set.

The recommended age range is from ages 3-6, which my children fall into, however my six-year old son prefers to write his letters on paper and only plays with this when he is helping his younger sister. My daughter, age four, is the one who uses this the most and she really enjoys it.

The Fridge Words Magnetic Word Builder can build over 325 words (a printable list is available on the LeapFrog website), comes with 29 lowercase magnetic letters, and also includes batteries (woo hoo!). The extra magnetic letters are included so that your child can spell such words as mom and dad, which require two of the same letters. The vowels are color-coded red so that you can also teach your child vowel sounds.

There are three modes of play including Load a Letter, Word Building, and Word Play. My daughter prefers...

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mindyvol says "A terrific learning toy that grows with your child" about LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set

mindyvol — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:13:39 GMT

I purchased the LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set when my son was just a toddler. He is now six years old and technically would still be using this toy if we hadn't upgraded to the LeapFrog Fridge Words Magnetic Word Builder. Both my son and my daughter (age four) grew up with the Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set and I attribute much of their knowledge of the alphabet to this product.

The Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set is a must-have for any household with young children and is fast becoming (or may have already become) a classic toy. Just about every parent that I know has one of these and it's a rarity when we visit a house that does not.

Like most moms, much of my day is spent in the kitchen, which is why having this toy on the refrigerator is a perfect spot for both mother and child. I could tend to my kitchen duties while my children played with it.

The LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set truly is a product that will grow along with your child. ...

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mindyvol says "Glenn Beck - anything but COMMON but he does make SENSE" about common sense

mindyvol — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:11:00 GMT

Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine

It seems that most people who are familiar with Glenn Beck either love him or hate him. I fall into the former category and a little embarrassingly admit that I even have a bit of a mom crush on him. I was first introduced to Mr. Beck when I read his book, An Inconvenient Truth, which I really enjoyed.

I wouldn't call myself a political junkie but I have found myself pursuing a higher level of knowledge in politics in the past few years. I was too busy daydreaming about boys to pay much attention to politics in high school, but now that I'm a married mom to two young children, I have a vested interest in the future of my beloved country.

When my harried life slows down on occasion and I remember to tune in, I watch Glenn Beck's program on cable news television, and aside from hawking his books, I feel like he really does care about our country. Hence my decision to read one...

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mindyvol says "Lego City Police Headquarters is fun for both kids and adults!" about LEGO City Police Headquarters

mindyvol — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:08:38 GMT

My son, who recently turned six years old, started playing with Legos this past year. He began small and built things like a Racer car or a Star Wars vehicle. I was fortunate to find a huge container of various Legos at a garage sale that kept my son busy for hours each day (and still does months later).

Now that my son is getting older, he is able to follow the basic Lego instructions on his own and has requested the larger (i.e. more expensive) Lego sets. While he hasn't received any of the large sets yet, his older cousin just got the Lego City Police Headquarters (#7744) set and WOW, is it ever neat!

The Lego City Police Headquarters is for ages 6-12 and contains a whopping 953 pieces! The set consists of different sections which can be re-arranged (there are three pictures on the box) for several modes of play. The headquarters is divided into sub-models including two jail cells, a watch tower, a booking area, office, coffee break room, and a two car garage with doors...

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skbreese says "Candlelight and Carols" about Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas * by Mary Chapin Carpenter

skbreese — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:24:14 GMT

Mary Chapin Carpenter's new release Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas is not so much a Christmas album, as a contempation on the holiday season. It is a beautiful collection of original compositions, traditional carols, and covers of other artisits, that will stay with the listener long after the Christmas season is over.

The opening track, Once In David's Royal City, the most recognizable traditional carol on the album, is infused with a soft, country flavor. The next number, Hot Buttered Rum, is a plaintive ballad written by Tommy Thompson, about the comfort of love during the bleak and cold of the winter season.

Another traditional number, Still, Still, Still, a sort of Christmas lullaby, features a beautiful melody, with piano and acoustic guitar. The next number, On A Quiet Christmas Morn, is a lovely cover of a tune by Robin and Linda Williams, about the rebirth of the spirit of the nativity into the modern world.

The title track, Come Darkness, Come Light, is an...

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